October 2018 - South African Museums Association
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October 2018
President’s Column
It is time for the SAMA National
Conference – the highlight on our
Content: annual calendar. We are looking
forward to talking about museums,
President’s Column renewing friendships and collegial ties
and to taking stock of museums in the
Opinion: country.
Sanlam: celebrating 100 years of insurances and
financial products and services. Catherine Snel, The theme for this year’s SAMA
Sanlam Archivist National Conference, Hyperconnected
museums: new approaches, new publics,
MµMα: Museum of Mathematics: Starting a was chosen by ICOM as the 2018
Museum from Scratch, Roger Layton International Museum Day theme as an
acknowledgement that museums are
Reflections on museum practice: functioning in an increasingly complex
KwaMuhle Museum traditional medicine world. According to ICOM
garden: renovation of an indigenous heritage hyperconnectivity is a term invented in
site, Steven Kotze, SAMA KZN Chair 2001 to design the multiple means of
communication we have today, such as
The Riebeek Valley Museum: face-to-face contact, email, instant
Attempting to become representative messaging, telephone and the Internet.
Chris Murray
South Africa is no different and SAMA
News from the Sector is taking up the challenge to engage
with the ways we are connected
SAMA News
through technology such as social
media, as well as connecting with
communities and nature in a more
traditional sense. Communication
technologies enable us to connect with
audiences all over the world, but at the
same time it can potentially distance us
1
through avoiding personal contact between
people, people and objects and people and nature, CONTACT US
which is one of the distinguishing characteristics of
SAMA National Office
museums. Marianne Gertenbach
021 461 2315
While many of the papers at the conference will samuseums@gmail.com
focus on the use of information technologies and www.samuseums.co.za
social media to disseminate information, the
connection with local communities through public SAMA Eastern Cape
programmes will also be emphasised. A third Thomas Jeffery
aspect is connections on an institutional level such t.jeffery@nelm.org.za
as shared databases and collaborative projects
between museums that are made possible through SAMA Free State
technologies. Lebohang Nyenye
nyenye.lm@sacr.fs.gov.za
We are looking forward to our annual national
conference and hope to see many of you there.
SAMA KwaZulu-Natal
H Vollgraaff, Vice President Steven Kotze
On behalf of President Steven.kotze@durban.gov.za
SAMA North
Isabelle McGinn
Isabelle.McGinn@up.ac.za
SAMA Western Cape
Leon Steyn
samawc.chair@gmail.com
Samantics Editorial Committee
SAMA Annual General Meeting Helene Vollgraaff & Medeé Rall
samasamantics@gmail.com
Date: 25 October 2018
Venue: National English Literary Samantics is a platform on which to
share ideas and keep up to date about
Museum Theatre what is happening in museums in
South Africa. Please send us short
Time: 10:50–12:30 articles and news about our museums.
For more information, contact the SAMA Office.
The deadline for the next issue is:
30 March 2019
2
2018 SAMA National Conference
‘Hyperconnected Museums: New Approaches, New Publics’
National English Literary Museum, Makhanda (Grahamstown)
22 to 25 October 2018
Highlights from the programme
Monday 22 October
19:00 Ice breaker event hosted by National English Literary Museum
Tuesday 23 October
08:25 – 08:30 Welcome by SAMA EC Chair, Tom Jeffery
08:35 – 08:45 Special word from Director of the National English Literary Museum, Ms
Beverley Thomas
08:50 – 09:00 SAMA Presidential Address – Mrs Regina van Vuuren
09:05 – 09:25 Special word from Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, The Honourable Ms
Magdeline Makhotso Sotyu
09:30 – 10:15 Keynote Address – Dr Robert Gess
10:40 – 11:00 Zongezile Matshoba. Literature and museums: connecting the disconnected.
11:05 – 11:25 Leomile Duduzile Mofutsanyana. Bridging the digital divide: South African
Heritage Resources Information System (SAHRIS) as a tool for connecting
heritage institutions.
11:30 – 11:50 Cuan Hahndiek and Regina Isaacs. The protection and preservation of objects
associated with national leaders.
11:55 – 12:15 Ras Mpho Jeffrey Molapisi. The Connection between the people of Ditsobotla
and the Lichtenburg Agriculture Museum.
12:20 – 12:40 Mariss Stevens. Slow reading in a hyperconnected world.
13:40 – 14:00 Dr Helene Vollgraaff. Creating museum spaces by a ‘homeless’ museum.
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Keynote speaker
Dr Robert Gess, Albany Museum, Makhanda (Grahamstown)
Dr Robert Gess of the Albany Museum will deliver the keynote address titled: Africa's earliest
four-legged animals by 80 million years, the world's only known high latitude Devonian tetrapods:
communicating an exciting discovery in the contemporary communications environment.
Dr Gess is South Africa’s principle researcher on Devonian (420–359 million year old) marginal
marine and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as early vertebrates (ancient fish and early four
legged creatures). The Late Devonian Waterloo Farm lagerstätte (exceptional fossil site) outside
Makhanda is his primary research area. His excavations at Waterloo Farm have revealed the
most complete record of a high latitude Famennian (latest Devonian) ecosystem in the world –
including plants, invertebrates and vertebrates. Exceptional preservation of much of the
material allows unique glimpses of the normally unpreserved soft tissue remains of early
animals.
He received his PhD in palaeontology from the Evolutionary Studies Institute of the University
of the Witwatersrand in 2011. His research is supported by the South African DST-NRF Centre
of Excellence in Palaeosciences and the Millenium Trust.
4
14:05 – 14:25 Noel L.Z. Solani and L. Zincume. From modernity to post-modernity and the
uses of technology in everyday life and in museums.
14:30 – 14:50 Dr Roger Layton. Toward the one museum.
15:25 – 15:45 Lolonga Tali. Engaging audiences through social media.
15:50 – 16:10 Lindinxiwa Mahlasela. Promotion of access to museum collections in the
Eastern Cape provincial-aided museums.
16:15 – 16:35 Thulisiwe Mseleku. A view from across the river: Ncome Museum.
16:40 – 17:00 Medee Rall. The representation of the San over time.
Wednesday 24 October – Excursions
Excursion 1: Tour of Heritage Sites in Grahamstown/Makhanda East and West:
Excursion 2: Tour of Heritage Sites in Bathurst and Port Alfred
Thursday 25 October
08:30 – 08:50 Myra Gohodzi. Virtual tours: a new look at our museums.
08:55 – 09:15 Tebogo Mohlakane-Mafereka. Removing the shackles of communication:
museums finding new ways to engage new publics and strengthen their
connections with them.
09:20 – 09:40 Sigi Howes. Skype and ‘Six of the Best’ for International Museum Day.
09:45 – 10:05 Crystal Warren. Facebook for museums.
13:20 – 13:40 David Larsen. Innovation to enable accessibility to the African National
Congress archives.
13:45 – 14:05 Georgina Marques. What is the quality of learning experienced in South African
museums? A case study of the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg.
14:10 – 14:30 Jordan Saltzman. #WeMakingAMuseum: The CMI building as inspiration for
engaged heritage practice in South Africa.
14:35 – 14:45 Helen James. The natural science collections facility.
15:15 – 15:35 Louise du Plessis. Connecting in the present, about the past, for the future.
Novice speaker.
15:40 – 16:00 Nosipho Gwala and Sli Ngobese. Msunduzi and Ncome Museum: new
connections and new approaches. Novice speakers.
5
Opinion1
Sanlam: celebrating 100 years of insurances and financial products
and services
Catherine Snel, Sanlam Archivist
Introduction
On 8 June 2018 Sanlam celebrated its centenary – a very proud moment for current and former
employees and its various stakeholders. Sanlam started as a small Cape-based life insurance
company on 8 June 1918, growing to a fully diversified financial service provider with a
footprint in more than forty countries. Sanlam CEO Ian Kirk attributes the milestone of
celebrating a centenary to the hard work of many good people over many generations.
The significance of the celebrations from a museum perspective is that Sanlam established an
archive in 1968 and a museum in 1982. This enabled Sanlam to record the company’s history
systematically and to research the history of the company. Every document, journal, audio-
visual and photograph in the collection is priceless, many dating from the company’s formative
years. Through the museum Sanlam is showcasing its story and educating visitors about
Sanlam’s role in South African business history.
The purpose of this article is to give a short overview of Sanlam’s history and to illustrate the
role of corporate museums and archives to record a company’s history and being a repository of
a company’s corporate memory. I also highlight the important role the archives and museum
played in the centennial celebrations. Without these facilities it would have been impossible to
conduct proper research about Sanlam’s history.
Overview of Sanlam’s history
When looking at Sanlam’s history, it can be divided
in four periods.
1918–1945: Setting the footprint
Sanlam was established against the political,
economic and social landscape of South Africa
during the first decade of the twentieth century.
The Afrikaners were defeated during the South
African War of 1899–1902, resulting in poverty,
losing their pride, power and self-respect. The
founders of Sanlam saw this as an opportunity to
uplift their fellow citizens in need and on 5
December 1917 they met at the Royal Hotel in Cape
Town to discuss the founding of an insurance
1
Opinions expressed in the Opinion Column is that of the authors and do not necessarily reflect that of SAMA.
6
company.
On 28 March 1918 the Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Trust en Assuransie Maatskappij (Santam) was
registered. However, even before Santam opened its doors it was decided to separate the life
insurance from the short-term insurance leading to the registration of the Suid-Afrikaanse
Nasionale Lewens Assuransie Maatskappij Beperk (Sanlam) on 8 June 1918. Sanlam, the
subsidiary, became the spearhead of the operation, while Santam focused on short-term
insurances.
Although the first years were tough, Sanlam endured the interwar instability through strong
management, a firm focus on its vision and close attention to the development of the agent
network. It further introduced new products and developed policyholder diversity. Sanlam
pioneered innovative life policies such as the Ideal Policy launched in 1922 that provided family
benefits and disability insurances – a first for South Africa. It was also the first insurance
company to pay lump sum disability benefits as opposed to industry norm of instalment
payments. A first-ever group pension scheme for institutions that were unable to set up their
own pension scheme was launched in 1929.
One of our precious resources is the first in-house journal, Die Sanlam Fakkel, launched in 1932.
The journal underwent many name changes, but still exists. It provides valuable information on
different aspects of the company and employees and was very useful for conducting research
about the history of the company.
An interesting insight into the company culture back then can be found in the Employers
Handbook that stipulated the rules and regulations of the code of conduct expected from Sanlam
staff. Examples of these rules were the following:
No staff member may leave his job or occupy
himself with private matters during office hours
without the permission of his chief clerk.
Under no circumstances may a staff member stand
financial surety for any person.
You are not allowed to get married unless you earn
a salary of at least £25 a month.
Only staff members with a salary of £30 a month
are allowed to have a car.
Employees must try to do everything as quietly as
possible. Talking loudly about matters not related
to your work, not only disturbs others and distracts
them but also impairs the general dignity of the
office.
When talking to former Sanlam staff members about
these rules they agree that back then you did not ask
any questions. You kept quiet and did what was
expected from you as rules like these were the norm.
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1946–1985: Forty years of protection and diversification
During this period Sanlam moved from
Cape Town to Bellville in 1953 and
parted ways with Santam as the parent
company in 1954.
The aftermath of World War II brought a
demand for new local products and made
people aware of their vulnerability in
case of events they have not any control
over. This created the opportunity for
producing policies that provided for the
uncertainties and made provision for
education and retirement.
In 1958 Sanlam became the first insurance company in South Africa to install a magnetic tape
computer by replacing its electromechanical systems with an electromagnetic Datatron
computer, a great milestone. The debit order was also pioneered by Sanlam in cooperation with
the banks allowing the transfer of money from the client’s bank accounts as payment for unit
trusts and policy premiums. By the end of the 1950s Sanlam pioneered the first electronic funds
transfers (EFT) transactions in South Africa and established its own Multi-Data System
Department. Today, it has become the leading money transfer bureau in southern Africa,
serving 700 companies and handling three million EFT transactions every month.
Sanlam also played it safe with new investment products in all sectors of the economy such as
investment houses, mining, banking, property, health care, employee benefits and the film
industry amongst others. Its diversification of investments was probably the most significant
characteristic of the company’s post-war developments. Sanlam grew into much more than a life
assurer and grew phenomenally with its assets increasing from R162 million in 1960 to R2,4
billion in 1980.
1986–1997: Searching the soul: whereto Sanlam?
Sanlam started to unbundle its various interests and refocused on its core business activities.
The company further streamlined its structure to pave the way for its demutualisation and
listing that followed in 1998.
The 1990s mark Sanlam’s first step towards meaningful economic empowerment of previously
disadvantaged groups. Sanlam’s approach was that disadvantaged groups should not only
contribute to the economy by providing labour, but also by controlling capital.
In 1993 the company spearheaded Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) through Sankorp
when it sold 10% of its effective control of Metropolitan Life (MetLife) to MetLife Investment
Holdings (Methold), a black-controlled company. The transaction resulted in the formation of
New Africa Investments Limited (NAIL).
8
Former CEO and Chairmen of Sanlam Board, Marinus Daling, stated that the Metropolitan
empowerment was a milestone in corporate South Africa and had a positive impact on Sanlam’s
image as it was no longer regarded as only an Afrikaans company but as one that is part of the
future South Africa.
Milestones during this period including the issuing of the ten millionth policy to Mrs M
Odendaal in 1988. In 1992 Lizé Lambrechts became Sanlam’s first female actuary; today she is
CEO of Santam. Sanlam sponsored the Pro-Am Golf Tournament in aid of the Cancer Fund in
1993. It has made great strides in creating awareness and raising funds for the Cancer
Association of South Africa. In 1995, Sanlam became the first financial institution to enter into
the Reserve Bank-sanctioned asset swap, enabling clients to invest offshore and in 1996 it takes
the lead with telemarketing and direct buying of products via telephone.
1998–2012: Change management. A diversified financial services group in South Africa
Sanlam’s focus gradually shifted from life insurance to providing a broader range of financial
products and services. Sanlam demutualised on 30 November 1998 and listed on the JSE and
the Namibian Stock Exchange. Demutualisation was the largest initial public offering in the
history of South Africa at the time. It trebled the number of shareholders on the JSE,
empowering more than two million policyholders by turning them into shareholders with the
majority becoming shareholders for the first time. This act changed Sanlam from a mutual entity
into a public company with a share capital.
In 1998 Sanlam also started internal restructuring empowerment by outsourcing its transport
service to seven former employees of colour to establish their own business, On Time Chauffeur
Services. The printing was outsourced to a BEE group, Koerikai and designs was outsourced to
former management, establishing Out of the Blue Creative Communications.
The Group further restructured into several independent businesses within a federal business
structure with the focus on product and technological innovation and social capital
transformation. A vital aspect of this period is improved performance in the life business,
investment management and market insights.
Other highlights include the sponsoring of the very popular educational programme Takalani
Sesame. Since its inception in 2000. Takalani is a truly South African version of the American
programme Sesame Street, reaching millions of South African children via television, radio and
outreach programmes. It is multilingual and reflects the culture, customs and educational needs
of our country’s children. Since its founding years Sanlam regarded education as fundamental of
its community programmes hence the importance of investing in programmes like this.
In 2004 a very important black economic empowerment transaction with Patrice Motsepe’s
Ubuntu-Botho Investments was initiated. The main purpose was to build black controlled
capital by being Sanlam’s empowerment partner. Motsepe, also Deputy Chairman of Sanlam,
reflects that, ‘when Ubuntu-Botho invested in Sanlam it was to build a partnership for the future
– for South Africans, for the continent and for all our people with different backgrounds and
different languages, working together to create value for shareholders and to inspire South
Africans to come together and work together for the future’. Today, more than 400 000 people
have directly benefitted from this initiative.
9
Another breakthrough was entering the Indian market through a joint venture with the Shriram
Group in 2005. Heinie Werth, former CEO of Sanlam Emerging Markets, said ‘the Shriram
transaction was of strategic importance to Sanlam and in line with the company’s strategy to
invest in developing countries with strongly growing economies. Sanlam’s strategy is to place
less capital on risk and expand our interest if the company performs well’. Sanlam also
expanded to Zambia, Tanzania, UK, Uganda, Kenya and Malawi amongst others, thus taking its
values into a much wider world.
2013–2018: Rebranding Sanlam
Sanlam started as a company that empowered Afrikaans-speaking people but have transformed
itself to serve a diverse South African population, in the process also gaining a global footprint.
The company has proven its ability to adapt and grow through the years with refocusing its
business by empowering the non-insured sector of society, whilst growing through innovative
products of personal risk management at both the top as well as the lower end of the market
both locally as well as internationally.
In 2014 the Sanlam brand was repositioned with a new tagline, Wealthsmiths™, referring to a
one stop financial services company serving all client segments, locally and globally. It is also a
simple description of Sanlam’s work ethos to never be afraid of good old- fashioned work.
Sanlam expanded its global footprint with Nico Vida in Mozambique, rebranded as Sanlam Life
Insurances in 2015, whilst in 2017 Pinebridge Investments in Kenya and Uganda rebranded to
become Sanlam Investments East Africa. In 2016 Botswana Insurance Company also joined the
Sanlam Group and Sanlam acquires a 63% interest in Rwanda’s largest life and non-life
insurance company Soras Group Limited in 2014. In 2015 Sanlam acquired a stake in Saham
Finances, which operates across Africa and the Middle East and in 2018 it acquires 100% of
Saham. It is one of the group’s biggest transactions to date, making Sanlam the insurer with the
largest pan-African footprint. According to current CEO of Sanlam Emerging Markets Junior
Ngulube Sanlam probably has the largest footprint on Africa soil as it is currently in 33 markets
in Africa, India and Malaysia, which gives the company diversification. The next step for Sanlam
is to become a truly pan-African business as per Ngulube.
On 8 June 2018 Sanlam celebrated 100 years – a proud moment for everyone who regard
themselves as a Sanlammer. In 1919 then Chairman of Santam and Sanlam predicted that
Sanlam will rank as one of the strongest of its kind in South Africa and not only keep pace with
the development and progress of our country but will contribute largely thereto, especially
because the company was built on solid grounds and sound principles.
Today, 100 years later, we at Sanlam are proud to celebrate the success of this formidable
insurance company, growing from humble beginnings into the largest, non-financial banking
footprint in more than 40 countries and also proceeding on the foundations it was laid. These
successes according to current Chairman Dr Johan van Zyl is because of the value system based
on people trying to make a difference not only for now but for generations to come.
10The role of the Archives and Museum during the centennial celebrations
The Sanlam Archives and
Museum played a vital role in the
centennial celebrations as it has
assisted in the publications of
four historical books, with one
book being published by Oxford
University. We provided
historical information and
material and also fact checked all
publications before they went to
press. These publications tell the
Sanlam story from different
perspectives.
The Archives and Museum also
worked closely with the Brand Department when revamping the Sanlam Museum. The museum
forms an integral part of the Sanlam brand and it was therefore important to rethink the image
we would like to portray, especially since celebrating a centenary. The previous exhibition was
on display since 1993 and had never been updated. It also did not depict a true reflection of the
role Sanlam has played over the years as there was no chronological storyline or highlights of
the important turning points in the company’s history. The display was also not interactive
although the information was interesting.
The newly revamped museum is very modern and appealing to visitors. The design is inspired
by a similar design of an exhibition called ‘super contemporary’ at the London Design Museum.
The Sanlam story is portrayed in a chronological timeline in the form of a narrow shelf that is
placed against the wall. It holds individual panels of information and images which are
prioritised according to different colour and block sizes. Former and current employees are
featured in filmed interviews, sharing information and insight in a way that gives the content a
personal and more human feel. A world map shows Sanlam’s global footprint. Display boxes are
centralised with very interesting artefacts such as the first policy register of 1918 which
contains information about Sanlam’s earliest clients and the different policies available in those
days.
The reason for this modern design is that the display boards can easily be replaced with new
information. Our museum does not have to be static as we can change the content to keep the
exhibition interesting and relevant. As a corporate museum with a business theme, space has
been created to add new information so that our exhibition can remain current.
Because of having a proper repository, we could provide a wealth of detailed information
needed to write our centennial publications and exhibition timeline. We were able to provide
information of the company’s origin and development over the decades. Without the work of
the archive and museum, it would have been impossible to present the company’s history in an
effective and efficient manner.
11Opening of Sanlam Centennial
Museum Exhibition:
Photo credit of museum opening:
Nasief Manie
With the different historical publications and new museum exhibitions we hope that visitors
and former and current staff will have a better understanding and appreciation of Sanlam’s
history. We also hope that Sanlam employees will take ownership and a pride of their history.
Four months since the opening of the exhibition and we have received positive feedback from
visitors with an increased in visitor numbers.
Conclusion
Sanlam has played a very significant role in the economic development and history of South
Africa and has helped shaped the nation in so many ways. It is more than just a financial service
provider.
As archivists and curators in a non-traditional museum environment it is very important to
make an impact in such a way that you not only educate your colleagues about your profession
but also capture the essence of the subject matter in such a way that your audiences will realise
the valuable contribution you are making towards the safeguarding of that company’s legacy.
History does not keep us back. It inspires us to learn from the past so that we can move forward
and drives us to build on what has already been achieved. As the custodians of Sanlam’s
corporate memory the archives and museum have created widespread respect and admiration
and has reiterated the importance of having an archive and museum, especially if you are a
company with a track record of 100 years.
12MµMα: Museum of Mathematics: Starting a Museum from Scratch
Roger Layton
I have always been a collector of things mathematics and I reflect here on how I am turning my
personal collections into a museum – the Museum of Mathematics (identified as MUMA or
MµMα).
My journey began at the age of 12 when I discovered that I was not only good at mathematics
but that I was also starting a secret love affair with this elusive subject. During my youth I used
my pocket money to purchase advanced mathematical textbooks rather than for sweets or
comics. By the time I reached standard 10—the equivalent of today’s grade 12—at the age of 15
I was already tutoring mathematics to my classmates and helping my teacher, and was familiar
with much of the university undergraduate syllabus. My interest in mathematics became a
passion and over the past 50 years has transformed into a compulsion and an addiction. I
continue to tutor mathematics to this day, and it is this wealth of experience which led to my
doctoral work on diagnostic assessment of mathematical misconceptions, which is a stepping
stone to fully-automated artificial intelligence-based mathematics support systems.
Having collected many things over these years, I have become highly protective about my
collection, fearing its demise when it is my time to pass, with this once-glorious collection given
to a charity or dumped for paper and metal recycling. It is this fear which led me to explore how
best to protect this collection beyond my own lifetime. Creating a museum appeared to be the
only solution.
The vast majority of museums do not start large; they start small from the collections of a single
collector and then build up to some formalised structure, if they survive at all. The gestation and
birthing pains are common in all entrepreneurial ventures in which there are thousands of ways
to fail and only a few ways to succeed. One of the most important success factors in the creation
of a new museum is the separation of the collector from the collection, like a rebirth into a new
life in which the collection will dominate from this point onwards, and in which the original
collector is merely a footnote in its history.
I reached that point in 2014 with the realisation that for this initiative to survive I need to let go
and so I commenced with a five-year plan to establish MUMA, which is underway slowly, but is
accelerating through work completed in the past two years.
My first goal was to establish the boundaries of the collection – identifying what should be
collected and what should be left out, so that I could be realistic about what is achievable and
can be of maximum benefit to the anticipated future audience. I defined these boundaries by
writing a collection development policy which is reviewed regularly. This policy frames my
work in collecting and preparing the collection by identifying the collections’ interest, which
currently includes a small physical set of books and equipment, a large collection of documents
in digital form and, a host of intangible knowledge which does not fit neatly into traditional
museum structures. I position MUMA as a home of knowledge rather than as a home of objects
and this position has been informed heavily by the intangible nature of mathematics itself.
MUMA is designed and created primarily as a virtual museum presenting its content through
digital channels rather than as a geographical place to visit, although a physical museum is
13already on the cards for the future, based on specific envisioning which I have done to create
this physical space, both in terms of its content and its architectural experience.
The work of MUMA is structured into tasks, which I identify as ‘work to be done’, in which each
is placed into the workload which will never be finished, since there are always far more tasks
than there is available time and resources. However, I have found that the simple act of
identifying these tasks and describing them in terms of their outcomes has provided a useful
focus and prioritisation to help me with this, especially at this early stage in which my focus is
collection development and documentation.
There are around twenty identified collections in the MUMA holdings which are divided roughly
into physical, digital, documentary, data sets and pure-knowledge/intangible.
The physical collections include my original collection of books, some dating to the 19th
century, and also my collection of calculating and measurement equipment. Among the
highlights are an arithmetic textbook from around 1850, a reproduction of Euclid’s Elements,
the first mathematics textbook from 300 BCE, which is the longest-lived non-religious written
work which still forms the basis for much of the mathematics curriculum, various mechanical
calculators such as a rare one hundred year old Brunsviga, which is still in prefect working
condition and teaching aids, including equipment and tools which assist in the teaching of
mathematics.
The digital collections include those which exist in digital form, much of which has no physical
counterparts, including image, audio, video, and documentation collections. One of the tasks is
to build a collection of mathematics examination papers for all grades and curricula, which is a
Brunsviga Mechanical Calculator. c1910
14reaction to the difficulty of finding these with the notable except for the
Penrose Tiling - a non-
regular space filling design -
a photograph of a building in
London.
national grade 12 examinations. These prior examination papers are an important resource for
teachers in the development of valid and reliable assessment practices. My own research has
focused on analyse examination questions in terms of their validity, asking whether they do
actually measure mathematical proficiency or not.
Shapes are an important element of mathematics, leading to geometry in the higher school
grades. One of the problems is how we can fill space with similar shaped objects, which can be
done easily for squares, triangles, and hexagons. Roger Penrose, one of the world’s top
mathematicians and mathematical authors of the 20th century, developed a novel space-filling
design which does not yield regular patterns and yet it works.
The documentary collections include articles which help to explain mathematical concepts,
including references to prior work, and also to stories of the historical development of
mathematics and the contributions of specific mathematicians. I am digitising older
mathematical works which are out of copyright to include in this collection.
15As an example of the mathematical greats Pythagoras was the founder of a mathematics school
some 2500 years ago. His role in mathematics cannot be underestimated, including his
identification of the irrational numbers, which cannot be represented in the form N/M, and for
which he held his members to pain of death for releasing this knowledge, his development of
the concept of proof, prior to which there was no formal approach to showing that a
mathematical statement was right or wrong and also for being the creator of the notion of
philosophy (the love of knowledge) as a distinct discipline of human activity. Pythagoras is also
the creator of the musical scale, which is based on the mathematics of wave harmonics. The 12-
tone scale we use today on pianos and guitars is based on pure mathematics.
Beyond the physical and the digital I have also commenced with the development of data
collections which are purely intangible in nature, such as a dictionary of mathematic terms and
notations, a collection of theorems and even mathematical jokes such as ‘There are three types
of mathematicians; those who can count and those who cannot’, as well as the more subtle joke
‘There are ten kinds of people in the world; those who speak binary and those who do not’.
At this point in the development of MUMA I am building up these collections and documenting
them into our own ETHER Base collection management system and database, which has
recently been awarded full compliance with the international best-practice Spectrum 5.
Beyond the collection development I am focused on other tasks which are becoming critical in
the near term including: (1) establishing governance structures – which is how I will separate
myself from the collection and give ownership and control to a governing body in order to
continue this into the future, (2) making the collections available through a web site which is
under development as a resource for anyone interested in mathematics and to inspire a love of
mathematics among everyone, and (3) building a community, which will include like-minded
people with a passion for mathematics who will become the evangelists for this in the future.
MUMA is currently self-funded and will continue to be so until I run out of money to sustain this
by myself. The time will come when funding will be important as this becomes a physical place
and an exciting place for learners to visit. There is no shortage of potential sources of funds,
including large corporates which use mathematics (banking, finance, engineering, construction,
in fact just about everyone) and government support including science, technology and
education.
I have been driven by a love of mathematics and a lifelong passion to bring this to the world. As I
approach my retirement years MUMA is one project which I hope to leave behind as a
sustainable legacy. I envision MUMA to be the trusted home of mathematical knowledge for the
long-term. After all, it has to start somewhere.
I welcome linkages with other museums who have mathematical objects in their collections and
also from anyone who shares my passion.
16Reflections on museum practice
KwaMuhle Museum traditional medicine garden: renovation of an
indigenous heritage site
Steven Kotze, SAMA KZN Chair
When KwaMuhle Museum was opened to the public in December 1996 it was envisaged as a
museum of resistance, incorporating displays that presented views of people who experienced
the system of racial segregation and economic control administered from within that building.
During the early decades of the 20th century Durban municipal authorities developed what was
later considered a template for social and economic regulation in all South African urban areas,
which was known as the ‘Durban System’. Ironically, the building from which the Native Affairs
Department operated was known as kwaMuhle (‘place of the good one’), after J.S. Marwick who
was the first manager. He had first been called ‘uMuhle’ during the South African War in 1899
when he walked from Johannesburg to Msinga through a war zone in order to make sure Zulu-
speaking mine workers made it home safely.
Sadly there was nothing good about the system he played a significant role in developing and
later administering in Durban. The formal labour force, mainly comprised of men, was regulated
through issuing of ‘passes’. All job seekers were required to report to the Native Affairs
Department for registration and documentation before their ‘pass’ was issued. A second aspect
of the Durban System involved a municipal monopoly on the brewing and sale of utshwala,
traditional sorghum beer in beer halls run by the city. It was originally intended that revenue
from the beerhalls would be used to provide amenities for African people living in Durban. In
reality the money was only ever used to subsidise the administration and policing of
segregation and labour control. Private drinking establishments operated mainly by African
women in their township homes therefore competed with municipal beer halls, and the Native
Affairs Department engaged in often violent tactics to prevent so-called ‘shebeen queens’ from
plying their trade.
Sporadic resistance to the Durban System over the years culminated in the 1959 beer hall riots
led by the women of Mkhumbane (Cato Manor), and ultimately resulted in the forced removal of
the mixed-race community that once lived there. The permanent displays created at KwaMuhle
in the mid-1990s reflected these acts of resistance by the fierce women who defied the
government. Their actions are considered a key part of how ordinary South African people
confronted the apartheid regime. During 2017 the original displays were renovated with new
panels and updated to include Zulu language texts, but more recently two staff members at
KwaMuhle Museum undertook the refurbishment of an important, but often over-looked
element of the permanent exhibits, the traditional medicines (or imithi) garden contained in the
courtyard of the museum.
The concept of healing is key when taking into account the hardships and indignity inflicted on
job seekers who came to KwaMuhle while it housed the Native Affairs Department, as well as
the family lives that were disrupted by the migrant labour. In addition appropriating the garden
for use as a space to celebrate indigenous knowledge systems also brings a central feature of
17Nosipho Khawula (right) and
Bongi Mnikathi in front of the
newly renovated KwaMuhle
medicinal garden.
African culture within the walls of the site. The cloistered courtyard garden of the museum is
ideally suited for this purpose and reflects part of the intentions by William Murray-Jones, the
architect who designed the building in 1927. Murray-Jones had arrived in Durban two years
earlier to begin work for a local architecture firm; he had spent much of the previous eighteen
years working in Brazil, Spain and Malaysia. It was, however, his time in Portuguese and
Spanish speaking parts of the world that made the biggest impact on the design of what would
become the Local History Museums.
As Professor Brian Kearney has pointed out, ‘many of the fine Spanish details to be noted in this
building, which was originally the administration offices for the Municipal Department of Native
Affairs, can be directly attributed to his long and intense experience of Iberian design concepts
in Brazil and Spain’. In particular, the shaded cloister surrounding the open-air courtyards is
typical of such design. Much of the work accomplished by Murray-Jones is categorised as Union
Period architecture which used classical details but incorporated elements that were
appropriate to South African conditions, such as making use of open verandahs for climate
control, while the integration of Spanish details (such as those used by Murray-Jones) is termed
Berea Style. The KwaMuhle building therefore contains a wide variety of influences in its design,
and the original courtyard garden could be re-purposed as a homage to the culture of men and
women who were forced to visit this place under conditions enforced by segregation laws.
Over more than two decades since the first traditional medicines garden was planted by Sipho
Majola and Charles Mbatha, who worked in the museum at that time, much of the vegetation
had died and there were several patches of open ground without plant cover. Two current
18employees at KwaMuhle Museum, Bongi Mnikathi and Nosipho Khawula, hatched a plan to
renovate this display of cultural heritage in 2018. Nosipho has a background in horticulture and
was eager to see the garden achieve its full potential once more, whilst Bongi completed the
necessary administrative steps to make this possible, with the support of Local History
Museums Director Sinothi Thabethe. With the assistance of professional horticulturalists in the
Parks Department, a wide variety of medicinal plants that make up local African ethno-botanical
pharmacopeia were selected and installed in a newly landscaped setting in time for the spring
season.
The freshly completed medicinal garden includes species such as umhlonyane omncane
(Artemisia afra), an aromatic shrub used for wide range of ailments from coughs, colds, fever,
loss of appetite, colic, headache, earache, intestinal worms to malaria; the lovely ubani
(Agapanthus campanulatus) which is a well-known garden plant also used as a protective
charm against lightning and in the training of some izinyanga (traditional healers) to improve
their memory – a particularly relevant plant to have in a museum. Another widely used
medicine is derived from the roots of ibhucu (Bulbine latifolia), taken orally to quell vomiting
and diarrhoea, but also for a number of other ailments, including diabetes and rheumatism; the
leaf sap is used to treat wounds, burns, eczema, rashes and itches. A very important element in
traditional ceremonies to honour ancestors (and also relevant to museums for that reason) is
imphepho (Helichrysum petiolare) which is burned as incense. African people have many uses
for iboza (Tetradenia riparia) including the relief of chest complaints, stomach ache and
malaria. Inhaling the scent of the crushed leaves apparently also relieves headaches.
The recently renovated traditional medicines garden contains several other varieties of plants,
all of which are captioned to assist visitors with identifying the various exhibits and their
respective uses. Due to the active interest of two museums employees this vital element of the
KwaMuhle Museum has been restored to its former glory.
The Riebeek Valley Museum:
Attempting to become representative
Chris Murray
The Riebeek Valley Museum insinuates that it is representative of an area, which it isn’t and has
never been. The Riebeek valley has been occupied by humans for aeons, from the Stone Age to
the present.
The museum is situated in one of the two original churches in the valley. The museum moved
into the building after a new church was built in 1914 in Riebeek Kasteel (the other church in
Riebeek West is still functioning). The church first became part of the farm Kloovenburg where
it was used as a community centre and then as a store. In 1989 it was donated by Mr P du Toit to
the local community and fell under the auspices of what is now the Swartland municipality. A
committee was formed which made a decision to establish the De Oude Kerk Museum, which
exhibited items donated by the white community.
19The plaque commemorating the laying of the
cornerstone for De Oude Kerk
When Anna Bohlin from the University of Göteborg
did fieldwork in the Riebeek valley in 2003, 2005
and 2006 she explored the then proposed
reorganisation of the museum’s displays. She
noticed that the displays were focused almost
exclusively on the history of white European
settlers, and in particular on the experiences of the
Afrikaans community. She suggested getting input
from the local township. This was met with
disinterest due to their perception of the museum
and what it represented. The community did not
want to contribute ‘their’ folklore and traditions. She
also told the story of a shocked reaction from a
member of this community, Bertha who recognised
a deceased uncle in a photograph on display in a building she had not previously been allowed
to enter. The legacy of the items on display illustrates a one-sided, biased view. The displays
comprise items from clothing to domestic items, farming implements and wagons. It is not an
inclusive representation which makes change imperative.
At the heart of this is representation. If the complete story of the valley is to be told items from
all communities must be displayed. This is a challenge given that the museum is still located in a
white area depicting the life of the white community. The historical evidence of human
occupation in the area exists in the Stone Age tools, paintings of the San and Khoekhoen on
Kasteelberg and in the writings of Pieter van Meerhof, which is not reflected in the current
displays. As in many parts of rural South Africa, the early settler story involved agriculture, and
with this the utilisation of slaves, which is also not reflected in the displays.
In 1965 a section of the Riebeek Kasteel community was forcibly removed from an area now
referred to as Oukloof.
Despite having its own
mission church, which
also served as a school,
the area was demolished
and new houses were
built for the white
population. Bertha
described how De Oude
Kerk reminded her of
The Riebeek Valley
Museum interior
20the old, demolished church and the community it served. This part of history also needs to be
represented in the museum.
There is another museum near Riebeek West, the house in which JC Smuts was born, which
depicts his life. The focus of this museum is unambiguous. It is located on land owned by PPC
and is maintained by the company.
The Riebeek Valley Museum on the other hand is located in property held on behalf of the
community. It gets a small stipend that covers the staffing and running costs. The stipend does
not allow for an upgrade of the present display. This calls for a different approach which will
require a business plan that will assist with generating an additional income stream. This will
probably require forming an NGO or NPO.
Today the Valley’s economy has become increasingly dependent on tourism. Whilst agriculture
is the main activity it is hampered by lack of growth by a lack available land climate change. Part
of the appeal for visitors is its history and heritage. The Riebeek Valley Museum must become
inclusive which could entail programmes for schools which tell the complete history of the area.
References
Bohlin, A. 2007. Challenging Heritage in a South African Town. In Kockel, U. & Craith, M.N. (eds)
Cultural Heritages as Reflexive Tradition. Palgrave Macmillan. UK.
The photograph displayed in the church, containing a deceased member of Bertha’s family
21News from the sector
Culture in Crisis Conference: Cross-Disciplinary Learning
Opportunities for Natural and Cultural Heritage Preservation
University of Pretoria, South Africa
The University of Pretoria in collaboration with the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Yale’s
Global Cultural Heritage Initiatives and the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin is organising a
conference from 17 to 21 October, with a unique focus on the benefits of both wildlife and
heritage conservation.
The conference will highlight the value of these two parallel branches of conservation,
demonstrating that through their adoption successful sustainable development on national and
international levels can be achieved.
We understand the profound and long-lasting impact of both environmental and cultural
heritage loss on communities, and the contrasting positive role that nature conservation and
heritage protection can have in rebuilding and recovering these areas, following war or disaster.
In this vein the conference aims to stimulate a cross-disciplinary approach, raising public
awareness and working with organisations from a range of backgrounds to adopt a holistic
approach to the protection of heritage in its diverse forms.
The conference will reflect on experiences in conservation, both cultural and environmental,
within a wider African context and also engage the value of wildlife and heritage conservation
during recovery from conflict or crisis. Through shared discussion we hope to isolate key
successes and identify blueprints that other nations could utilise during their own recovery or
development.
Through developing academic and professional partnerships we hope to construct a network of
individuals and organisations in Africa and beyond that are unified in their resolve to protect
the world’s heritage. Through discussion and the sharing of expertise across a variety of
disciplines, we hope to combat the global threat to heritage, using a multi-lateral approach
which can be enacted throughout the societal stratigraphy, from community to governmental
level.
The conference will provide an opportunity to draw parallels between the two conservation
practices in nature and culture which, though harmonious in ethos, rarely collaborate to share
practices. Through studying mechanisms used within wildlife conservation, such as the
International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Endangered Species Red Lists, in comparison
with the International Council of Museums’ Red Lists, cultural heritage preservation
professionals may ultimately be able to create their own priority lists for conserving the world’s
shared heritage too. This ‘prioritising’ of heritage protection is intrinsically valuable as it will
provide a framework for identifying, categorising and targeting conservation efforts in a more
objective and international manner, following the success of models used in wildlife
conservation.
22A literary museum and the Mandela 100
Zongezile Matshoba
The Department of Arts and Culture declared 2018 the year of Mandela in honour of the late
President who would have been 100 years old. It became known as the Mandela 100.
The National English Literary Museum (NELM) in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) linked up
with the Nelson Mandela Museum in Umthatha, showing the travelling exhibition Dear Mr
Mandela, Dear Mrs Parks: Letters: Children’s Letters, Global Lessons. The exhibition opened on 22
June at NELM. Heeding the call to write a letter and read it during the official opening, Sizwe
Mda of the King Lobengula Foundation read his touching letter. In the following days a number
of educational programmes took place, attended by earners from local schools. They also looked
at the exhibition and wrote letters to their heroes. A number of them wrote letters to their
parents, especially their mothers. The exhibition will remain at NELM until the end of the year.
NELM also linked with the oldest community newspaper in the country, Grocott’s Mail. The local
community was encouraged to write letters to their heroes. The letters will be published in the
newspaper as part of Rhodes University’s Mandela Trading Live.
As part of the Litfest a three-day writers’ event was held which was hosted during the National
Arts Festival. NELM also linked up with the Makana municipality libraries and the provincial
Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture for a Mandela 100 event. For three days there
were storytelling sessions and other activities which were attend by about thirty young and old
people. The second day was dedicated to the Mandela legacy where the youth had to tell what
they remember Mandela for and how are they going to keep his legacy alive.
NELMS’ Mandela 100 activities did not end at the with the arts festival. On 18 July NELM visited
its satellite museum, the Schreiner House in Cradock, to host Mandela Day at two primary
schools in Cradock, Michausdal and Carinus. Central to NELM’s making a difference was feeding
the mind. The story Mr Hare Meets Mr Mandela by Chris Van Wyk was told to the learners by
Basil Mills, NELM’s education officer and a renowned storyteller. In the afternoon NELM hosted
the people from the old-age home. Leon van Wyk, the curator of the Schreiner House, also
presented a talk in which he showed photographs of Cradock in years gone by. Tea, coffee and
biscuits were served as the people
reminisced about times gone by.
NELM also runs the youth
programme at the Schreiner Karoo
Writers Festival in Cradock. The
youth programme has been
focusing on high schools since its
inception in 2013. For the first time
Group photo of the NELM youth
programme participants during
the Schreiner Karoo Writers
Festival.
23this year NELM and Schreiner House focused on primary schools. Ten learners from six primary
schools were invited. Basil Mills worked with the groups to develop a short play about Mandela
meeting Olive Schreiner, Guy Butler and James Arthur Calata. The short piece was performed on
at the Cradock Four garden of remembrance during the book launch of Abigail and Lukhanyo
Calata’s book, My Father Died for This.
The West Coast Museum Forum
Chris Murray
In 2016 the West coast region, or #Weskus as it is known in tourism circles, was created. It is
home to a diverse range of museums about which little was known.
Meetings of the West Coast Museum Forum take place every two or three months, each time at a
different museum. At each meeting every
museum has a slot in which to discuss
issues, ideas and successful events or
functions. This allows members of the
Forum to learn what other museums are
doing, to form personal connections and to
benefit from each other’s experiences.
Many of the museums have municipal
funding with very narrow margins whilst
other museums supplement funding with
activities or functions. A few are part of
the provincial government structure,
which creates diverse standards for
displays and activities.
Two museums that don’t fall in this
grouping are the West Coast Fossil Park
and !Khwa ttu, the San cultural centre.
Both are preparing to have official
launches of their new facilities. During the
last meeting at the Fossil Park, Pippa
Haarhoff, the manager, told us about
recent developments after receiving a
grant from Lotto and the long road to
24design a purpose built centre, the machinations of planning and the construction of the new site.
!Khwa ttu is launching their Heritage Centre in September which will add a unique cultural
aspect to the #Weskus collection.
The museums that are part of the Forum are: Citrusdal, Clanwilliam Ou Tronk, Darling,
Goedverwacht, Hopefield, Riebeek West’s JC Smuts, Lamberts Bay Sandveld, Moorreesburg
Wheat Industry, Malmesbury, Piketberg, Porterville Jan Danckaert, Riebeek Valley,
Langebaanweg West Coast Fossil Park, Velddrif SA Fisheries and Yzerfontein !Khwa ttu.
References:
www.facebook.com/wcmuseumforum
www.fossilpark.org.za
www.khwattu.org
Forum and other info:
www.heritagechroniclesa.org/routes
www.swartlandheritage.com/museums
www.noboundariescape.co.za/heritagehistory
Heritage forum for the southern peninsula launched
Leon Steyn
On 12 June a large number of Southern Peninsula heritage bodies met at Rhodes Cottage to map
out future co-operation. The Muizenberg Historical Conservation Society hosted representatives
of the Simonstown Navy Museum (Commander Leon Steyn), Fish Hoek Valley Museum (Sally
Britten), Simonstown Museum (Eddie Wesselo), South African Police Service Museum (W.O. L
Nxele and Suzette Farmer), Muizenberg Improvement District (Megan Cross), Kalk Bay
Historical Association (Derek Stuart-Findlay), the Lakeside Residents’ Association (Stuart
Thompson), Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) (Keith Edwards) and City of Cape
Town (Christoffel Smalberger). The full board of the Muizenberg Historical Conservation
Society. Glenn Babb, Chris Taylor, Daniel Blaauw and Melodie Morris acted as hosts.
The meeting was presided over by Advocate Glenn Babb, chairman of the Muizenberg Historical
Conservation Society, which has management agreements for Rhodes Cottage and Het Posthuys.
For a long time there has been a mutual desire to coordinate actions and events between
heritage bodies in the southern peninsula. This historic part of Cape Town has such a wealth of
historical material and artefacts that it can be developed as a heritage destination on its own
and not just as part of Cape Town.
All the representatives agreed to setting up a joint internet platform to share information and
events with local and international publics and tourists. PRASA is working on initiatives to
attract groups of visitors to the southern peninsula by train in special carriages and is using
apps and social media to keep potential visitors informed about these opportunities. The hop-
on-hop-off bus service is also servicing this area. Cooperation between these bodies makes
sense. The possibility of a single voucher to visit all the heritage museums and sites in this area
is being considered.
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